OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

A Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT) assists a child in participating with daily life activities or “occupations”. A child’s occupations are developmentally appropriate activities such as crawling, reaching for a toy, eating a snack, tossing a ball or coloring, among others. A child with a medical diagnosis, motor delay, impairment in sensory processing or lag in reaching developmental milestones may find it difficult or challenging to participate in these daily occupations.

There are a variety of reasons for a delay which would require the need for an OT. It is important to identify any delay as early as possible and initiate OT services when those delays are identified to ensure the best possible outcomes. What are some causes that may benefit from an OT?

Birth injuries or defects

Traumatic brain injury

Cerebral Palsy

Autism

Spina Bifida

Developmental delays

Muscular dystrophy

Sensory processing disorders

Behavioral problems

ADD

Learning difficulties

Specifically, pediatric OT focuses on strengthening and coordinating fine motor movements and on motor planning. They assist your child in areas such as those listed below:

Occupational therapists can evaluate a child’s strengths and difficulties in critical developmental areas. The OT will use the results of the evaluation along with input from you and your child to develop an individualized therapeutic plan with interventions to promote the healthy development of the skills needed for success with these daily childhood tasks. These interventions are carried out through meaningful activities and play, facilitating the development of age appropriate skills. Some of the activities you may observe during a session:

The use of puzzles and games for hand-eye coordination

Learning how to grasp and release objects

Coloring and writing

Specific task performance with feeding, dressing, using a computer, etc.

Learning how to focus on specific tasks

If you have any concerns with your child’s development or attainment of fine motor skills needed for any of the tasks listed above, do not hesitate to contact us for a phone consultation. We would be happy to provide you with any needed information in determining your child’s needs. If an evaluation is appropriate, we can assist in attaining all the needed physician orders and paperwork to start your child’s road to success in reaching their maximal potential.